My Teacher Hates Me!

08/03/2017 22:07
● Published by Sandy Kauten

When a child dislikes a teacher—or feels
disliked by one—school becomes a daily struggle. Just ask Constance Zimmer. Her
stepson Harrison, now a happy fifth grader, got off on the wrong foot with his
first-grade teacher. “He felt picked on and singled out,” she recalls. “He
began to act out in class and refused to participate in projects and
assignments.”

Fortunately, teacher-student traumas are
often highly fixable. Read on for ways to smooth the bumps for a better school
year.

EARLY
YEARS 3-5

Slow and Steady

When a preschooler appears to dislike a
teacher, longtime early childhood educator and co-author of Monday Morning
Leadership Evelyn Addis warns parents against jumping the gun and hastily
switching classes or schools. When a child first begins preschool, he may be
responding negatively to the overwhelming experience of school rather than a
specific teacher. “Allow a period of adjustment for your child in any new
classroom setting,” says Addis. “It takes time for classes to come together as
a group.”

Most
schools welcome parents to observe a child’s classroom in action, particularly
when a concern arises. But beware: a short classroom observation doesn’t
present a true picture of an entire instructional day, and a parent’s presence
can alter a child’s behavior. If complaints about a teacher persist, document
your concerns, and set up a conference with the teacher. Brainstorm a plan for
addressing the problem areas, along with a plan for daily or weekly
communication to monitor the situation, advises Addis.

ELEMENTARY
YEARS 6-12

Detective Duty

When a grade-schooler complains about a
super-strict teacher, don’t impulsively jump to calling the principal or filing
a complaint, says child and adolescent psychologist Kristen Wynns, Ph.D.,
founder of Wynns Family Psychology in Cary, North Carolina. Instead, go into
detective mode: gather information about the conflict with a log. After a few
weeks of documenting the problem, request a meeting with the teacher to talk
about solution before you consider alternative options like changing teachers.

Sometimes, there’s more to the “mean teacher”
situation that meets the eye. Constance Zimmer’s stepson Harrison felt targeted
by his teacher, but it turned out that he had undiagnosed attention deficit
disorder. “Once the problem was treated, he made progress in leaps and bounds,
and realized that it wasn't a matter of the teacher not liking him, but his own
perceptions about his lack of progress in school,” Zimmer says.

TEEN
YEARS 13-18

Obstacle Course

Most teens will run into a teacher conflict
at some point, says Wynns. “Any parent knows if you go to school long enough,
it’s inevitable you’ll have that ‘really mean’ or demanding teacher.” While
those experiences aren’t always fun, they can teach teens valuable lessons
about dealing with difficult people, she notes.

After ensuring that the class in question
isn’t too easy or too advanced for the teen’s academic abilities, Wynns advises
parents to avoid automatically “rescuing” teens who find themselves in a tough
spot with a teacher. When parents encourage teens to continue in the class
instead of granting them the easy way out, (like dropping the course) it
conveys a strong message about the parent’s confidence in the teen, says Wynns.
Teenagers who see that a parent believes they can handle a tricky situation
will often rise to the occasion.

Malia Jacobson is a nationally published
freelance writer and mom. Her most recent book is Sleep Tight, Every Night:
Helping Toddlers & Preschoolers Sleep Well Without Tears, Tricks, or
Tirades.

Reading list:

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